The Meat Eaters’ Burden

Many vegans wonder why people still eat meat when they know that animals are being mistreated? Is it because they are bad? Is it because they don’t have feelings, or they don’t care about others or our earth? I don’t think so. I know that will be a controversial statement, but I know a lot of people who eat meat who are beautiful, loving, giving, compassionate people.

In general, I’m of the opinion that if I haven’t felt something personally, I don’t know how it feels. I know that might sound obvious and overly simplistic, but I mean it. If I actually did get the experience to walk in your shoes, who’s to say that I wouldn’t agree wholeheartedly with your point of view? Your opinions are made up of your personal life experiences. I don’t know what its like to be you, so I can’t judge you. (I mean that of course in a fundamental way, I’m totally guilty of judging outfits, and haircuts and all kinds of meaningless stuff. I am human.)

Ok, judging aside…how can these beautiful, loving, giving, compassionate people eat meat when they know it means that animals are being mistreated on behalf of their desires?

Here’s what I think happens.

People ignore the situation because they can’t reconcile their desire to eat meat with their emotional feelings about killing animals. So the brain creates a ‘story’ that is acceptable, so that the person isn’t wracked with guilt every time they eat meat.

When a person is actually confronted with the reality, it is inevitably upsetting to them. Either the person is impacted and wants to stop eating meat, or they are impacted but they also still want to eat meat. Given this dilemma, the brain will again try to avoid the upsetting ideas and return to its ‘safe place’.

As we all watch the videos of the abused animals in factory farms , people universally have the same reaction. Horror, sadness, pain, and often embarrassment that we allow this in our society. I don’t think anyone is ‘cool’ with what they see. The end of the video comes and it says ‘Go Vegetarian, or Go Vegan’.

Ok. Some people will, but there are plenty that don’t want to, and won’t.  As we’ve previously established, many of them are loving, giving, compassionate people. What are they left to do with the feelings that have been stirred up by what they just saw? The brain takes them back to their’ safe’ place.

Moving forward many people just want to avoid those images and topics alltogether, and when they feel that they are being confronted by those who mean for them to feel ashamed, they react like anything would that is backed into a corner… Fiercely. They will want to eat more meat, proclaim their love of meat, put bacon on everything! Rebel against the force that is attempting to control them. I think everyone is missing the point.

More than anyone else, fixing the inhumane conditions that exist in our farming system should be the meat- eaters’ burden.

You know that you want to continue to eat meat, but do you really want it at the price that the animals are forced to pay? Deep down… I don’t think so. Vegans have opted out of that machine, and are usually already working on trying to make things better. Let’s be clear. Its your burden too.

I think at the end of those videos it should say ‘If you don’t want to go Vegan then what are you going to do to make peace with your decision to eat meat?’